Would anyone know the date when the factory changed from canister oil filter to spin on filter on production cars.  I have heard 1/1/57 and March or April of '57.   If not, any ideas how to determine the date?  
Randy

I don't know any specific date, but as far as I know all 57's had the spin-on and no 56's had them.  Possibly some very early 57 had the cannister???? or some very late 56's had a spin-on?????


54 Victoria 312;  48 Ford Conv 302, 56 Bird 312
Forever Ford
Midland Park, NJ

The spin on oil filter was just one of the changes introduced for the 1957 Fords.  That change would have been first seen when full production of ’57 Fords commenced in September of 1956.  Part of that model year mentality is so that replacement parts can be ordered by year model rather than by serial number.

Lorena, Texas (South of Waco)

Randy.  I'm aware that you are 'efforting' to do a concourse restoration of your dad's F code '57.  I don't know which Ford assembly plant produced his car.

This information pertains to the Dearborn assembly plant only.  The information is reported in the 2001 Addendum section of the Classic Thunderbird Club International Restoration Details and Specifications Manual on page 236 as pertains to photo 26 on page 237...
"After January 1957 this type spin on oil filter (black) was installed on all 1957 model engines at the Dearborn assembly plant.  (This information obtained from original assembly plant photos)  Early 57 models had the 55/56 canister type oil filter.  The canister type oil filter housing is shown on page 177."

Turning to the above mentioned photo [1996 Addendum section] on page 177, information pertaining to photo 40 is given on page 176.  Again, this info pertains to the Dearborn assembly plant where the little 'Birds were built...
"The 1955, 1956 and very early 1957 models had the canister type oil filter.  The canister was painted black.  The decal was gold with a red border.  The lettering was black.  The decal was installed the length of the canister.  The canister gave way to the spin on filter sometime in January of 1957."
_______________________
Additional Dearborn assembly plant information is reported in the 2013 Addendum section on page 478 pertaining to photo 34 on page 479. 
"Show(n) is the filter canister for the 1955/1956 models and early 1957 models.  Spin on filters for 1957 started mid Dec 1956.  These canisters are slowly disappearing because most are being replaced with a spin on filter which eliminates the canister."
_______________________
Randy, I'm gathering that the use of spin on filters may have begun at different times at different Ford assembly plants.

Going back to page 236 as pertains to photo 27 on page 237...
"This type spin on oil filter was the original over the counter service part and appears to have been installed at some assembly plants, but there is no evidence of this type being installed at the Dearborn plant where the Thunderbirds were assembled."
NOTE:  Picture 27 shows a willow green (my take; '57 'Bird color) spin on oil filter with a silver [argent] (upper) and red (lower) band surrounding the filter base short of 1/2 way up the height. Red large FoMoCo lettering with a Genuine Parts banner under the FoMoCo on the silver [argent] upper 2/3s height area; red large lettering OIL FILTER (upper) and B7A-6731-A (lower) on silver background on the lower red 1/3 height area.  Probably of more significance is the sharp edge near the top of this green filter unit where it changes to a slightly convex top.  In comparison, the black filter apparently installed at the Dearborn plant has a top curvature like what is still used today at least by Fram.      
 
Hope this helps. 


NoShortcuts
a.k.a. Charlie Brown
near Syracuse, New York

Charlie,   My father's car was built at Dearborn mid January '57.  I have been using the pictures of the PHASE 1 prototype engine taken at the Dearborn factory as my reference for the engine built.  These pictures clearly show that the prototype engine does have a canister filter on it.  I do not have a date that these pictures were taken but I would have to guess that they were taken in late December 1956 based on the Ford letters regarding the Phase 1 program. What you provided is the type of information I am looking for but, it still a little confusing as that when the change was made, 'The canister gave way to the spin on filter sometime in January of 1957', 'After January 1957 this type spin on oil filter (black) was installed on all 1957 model engines at the Dearborn assembly plant. 
Randy

The types of discrepancies you are reporting pertaining to your dad's Phase 1 SC vehicle are not surprising anomalies in my view. 

One of the 'virgin' ECZ-C engine block assemblies I looked at for you had the '56 style camshaft counterweight unit, but no the timing gear oil trough or the threaded hole in the block to secure the trough.  Based upon production casting date, that ECZ-C block should not have had the counterweight pieces or the trough either.

Gil Baumgartner has poured some 25 years into authoring the CTCI Restoration and Specification Manual I referenced.  Scott McGilvray and Don Hyde were initially credited with having reviewed its contents, too.  Presently, the 479 page volume with its 10 over time written and released addendum s is something else!  But variations do surface from time to time to the info presented.  In the case of the oil filter unit, Gil based his dating to photos from the Dearborn plant production line.  Who's to say there wasn't a special work cell where the Phase One engines were being individually prepared for future installation.  The assembly of those first SC units may have started many weeks before they were completed due to working through component issues like the unique bracketry or other hardware issues.

Gil's info pertaining to the difference between the FoMoCo dealer available green spin-on oil filter available for replacement purposes clearly suggests that, as Ted stated, there were assembly plants that were using the spin-on filter from the get-go of the '57 model year.  The pictures of the black, different shaped, spin on oil filter circa December '56 or January '57  installed at the Dearborn assembly plant clearly indicate that there was an oil filter production change after earlier introduction and use in other assembly plants.

Getting the restoration of your dad's car period correct has got to be exhaustive.  And, when you're done, be prepared for 'experts' to argue with what you have put together...  UGH!   NOT easy!  


NoShortcuts
a.k.a. Charlie Brown
near Syracuse, New York

I talked to a very respected Ford restorer/owner, with extensive knowledge of '57 T-Birds and especially F-code birds.  Although he couldn't provide additional insight on when the change was made, he stated that his first T-Bird, built February '57 with a 292, had a canister filter.  At least Ford's inconsistency is consistent.

It's not anything unique to Ford.  Things can be "incorrect" off the assembly line for a number of reasons.  I know of a few instances in my line of work where this is likely.  It's usually stuff that is not documented and the only real evidence comes from restorers who see something so often, perhaps within a particular vin sequence, that it just not very likely that it is something that was changed later by an owner.  In rarer instances, there may be someone who was working on the line or worked in a parts department and has firsthand knowledge.  Of course, the older the product, the less reliable that knowledge can be because memory is terrible.
There can also be instances where a part changes but the part number does not.  For instance, maybe a black oxide bolt is used at the factory, but a subsequent replacement using the same part number is zinc plated.  Maybe even the parts book indicates that it is zinc by the time a replacement part is ordered.  The zinc bolt is documented so is deemed to be correct when it really is not - but that depend on how nit picky you want to get.  I've seen this with newer stuff.
So sometimes you can have something that is absolutely factory correct which is not "by the book" correct.



Lawrenceville, GA

Speaking of incorrect from the factory I have a late production 55 sunliner that has a 56 body,door seals and padded visors and a 4th color in the in the interior that should not be so anything is possible.


Butchering up everything I can get my hands on in Dayton Ohio